Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 22 March 2026, by Revd Judy Chan. The scripture readings that day was Ps 32, Luke 7:36-50

Sermon – The Good News is Great Love of God and Neighbor

In our Gospel reading this morning, we heard the story about a dinner where Jesus is a guest. And where a most unexpected thing happens. . . a notorious woman enters the premises and ruins everything – at least everything in the eyes of the host. But for Jesus, it’s completely the opposite. He takes what others consider a total embarrassment and transforms it into a touching moment, a teaching moment, a moment of grace and truth. 

How does this happen?

We need to know a bit of context to make sense of this story. The party is hosted by Simon, a Pharisee, a highly respected religious leader. Normally one sat to dine at a family meal. But for special occasions, guests reclined on couches arranged around a U-shaped table. That means they propped themselves up on their left elbow, ate with their right hand, and had their feet and bodies away from the table. This dining style was modeled on the Greek symposium. It was reserved for the upper classes to create an atmosphere of relaxation and luxury, conducive to good conversation and discussion.

So, what was Jesus doing here? Perhaps he was invited because he had been gathering quite a following as a teacher and holy man. Maybe Simon wanted to hear more from the man himself to judge whether he might in fact be a prophet. You have to give Jesus credit here. He had been criticized for being undiscriminating about the low-life company he kept. But Jesus was also willing to spend time with so-called ‘respectable’ people even when they didn’t offer him full hospitality. 

So, the guests have arrived and reclined at table. Then… a woman enters looking for Jesus. We wonder, “How can someone just walk in uninvited to someone’s house?” But these dinner parties were sometimes semi-public affairs, with doors open to people from all walks of life. When a noted teacher was present, outsiders could wander in to sit or stand on the side to listen. But this woman didn’t just slip in and stay in the background. No, she came right up behind Jesus. She knelt at his feet and began to wash them with her tears. She dried them with her hair and kissed them. Then taking her jar of expensive oil, she broke it and anointed his feet. 

Everyone must have been shocked. The woman had been identified as a ‘sinner’ in the city, so host and guests must have known her by reputation. “Sinner” here likely implying a sex worker. 

Note, the Bible doesn’t say exactly what her sin is, and some women scholars have argued against making that automatic judgment. But based on her actions and the response from the host, it’s possible this woman may have been exactly that. 

And if that’s the case, then, Simon’s reaction is totally understandable. He’s outraged. Both the sinful woman and Jesus have behaved scandalously. She shamelessly exposing herself with a man in front of decent people; he, being that man, and doing nothing to stop her. Is this the same Jesus they said might be a prophet? No way!

Note Simon doesn’t say any of this out loud. He doesn’t have to. Everyone in that room knew what he’s thinking. Including Jesus. But no one in that room could be expected to know what Jesus was thinking, including Simon. So Jesus needs to say it out loud and clear.

“Simon, I want to say something to you.” “Ok, Teacher, go ahead.” 

Now instead of launching into an apology or defense, Jesus proceeds to tell a parable – that is, a story with a moral. Jesus knows that a parable was often the simplest way to introduce a deeper spiritual truth. 

Let’s say there were two debtors. One owes 50 denarii, the other 500 denarii. A denarii was about a day’s wage for a laborer. 50 or 500, neither can pay back what they owe to the lender. But both get their debt canceled in full. Which of these two do you think would love the moneylender more?  “I suppose the one who had the greater debt cancelled,” Simon replies. “That’s correct,” says Jesus. 

At first glance, the meaning seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? The parable explains why the woman did what she did: she is like one who had five hundred denarii — well over a year’s wages — forgiven her. In gratitude for this unbelievable gift, she can’t help but pour out love to the one she knows saved her.

Now if Jesus had stopped here, that might have been enough, at least in Simon’s mind. But Jesus doesn’t stop here. Because it’s not enough. It’s not enough to think this parable is only about forgiveness and love…it’s also about lack of forgiveness and lack of love. In other words, it’s not just about the woman. It’s about Simon too.

So, what comes next, to me, are the most crucial words in this whole story.  It’s the question Jesus asks Simon point blank: “Do you see this woman?” Do you really see her?

Do you see how much she risked – her safety, her dignity, even her livelihood – to come here? Because, unlike you, she has no place to hide, no protection from her enemies, no safe space in this world. Unlike you, she has been shamed and shunned as someone whose last name is Woman and first name is Sinner. Yet, she knows for sure no one is beyond God’s grace and mercy. Because, unlike you, she has no doubt who I am.

Don’t you see that everything she did for me was because you refused to do so? You gave me no water to wash my feet. You offered no kiss of friendship, no oil to anoint my head. You neglected to extend even the basic courtesies to a guest, while she held back nothing to honor me in the best and only way she knew how.

O Simon, don’t you see, that in God’s eyes, the difference between you and this woman is not measured by sin? It’s measured by love. And by every measure, she has shown more love to me than you have even in your own home. Why? Because she’s a super-sinner and you’re not? No! Because she’s super-obligated and you’re not? No! Because the truth of the matter is – there are no 50-denarii debtors in God’s economy. Only 500-denarii ones. That’s right. There is no way you can calculate how much you owe God or how much anyone else owes God. So, stop trying to be the divine accountant. All you can do is accept that the debt is more than you can ever pay back, and be forever grateful – grateful to the One who has forgiven you in full. And saved your life.

Now, the Gospel doesn’t tell us how the story ends for this man. But we do know how it ends for the woman. With three remarkable declarations from Jesus:

First, he says: “Your sins are forgiven.” Wow. Can you imagine how much that meant to her? Not only to be declared forgiven and beloved directly in the presence of Jesus. But to have it happen in front of the very ones who had judged her unworthy even to be in their presence. And how did they react to Jesus’ words to the woman? It appears that those around that table were just as clueless as Simon. The Bible says when they heard what Jesus had said, they were astonished: “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 

Of course they were thinking of her sins, not theirs. But whatever this woman’s sin, there is sin even more tragic than hers. And what is it? As one pastor put it, 

Hands that will not serve, Perfume that will not leave the jar. It is the sin of a heart that will not break, a life that will not change, a soul that will not love. But thanks be to God, these were not the woman’s sins.  Because her faith had saved her. 

Which is the second incredible thing Jesus said: “Your faith has saved you.” Are you surprised? I’m guessing everyone in that room was surprised. Her faith? By religious standards in that culture, she was about as far away from faith as you could be. But what if by ‘faith’ Jesus meant something different? Something that is possible for anyone? One of the best definitions of faith I’ve heard comes from the 19^th century Scottish missionary to the South Pacific – John Paton. In the arduous work of Bible translation, he got stuck on one word – ‘faith’. There just didn’t seem to be an equivalent in the local language. Then one day, a colleague came in from a hard day’s work. Collapsing into a nearby lounge chair, he exclaimed, “I’m so tired I need to lean my whole weight on this chair.” “Praise God,” said Paton. “I’ve got my word.” Faith simply means “to lean your whole weight on him.” Which is exactly what the woman did. And so can we.

Finally, then, Jesus’ pronounces his last words in this story: “Go in peace”. What more beautiful blessing could he bestow over our life?  The original word Jesus must have used here in Hebrew is "Shalom.” But it means more than peace. Shalom also means prosperity in both soul and body, wholeness, safety, harmony. Everything this woman so desperately needed. So then, is Jesus promising her that all her life’s problems are now over? That everything from this day forward will be wonderful and easy? No, and that’s not what faith in Jesus promises us either. What Christ does promise is when we lean our whole weight on him, we can go out into the world with blessed assurance. Blessed assurance that God is in our past forgiving us, God is in our present loving us, and God is in our future meeting us. Go in peace, friends, go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.